Week 5 - 8th April 2013

image from google

The lecture this week was presented by Joe Eisenburg and was about the gallery system and how to interact and deal with them as artist.

He first defined the difference between commercial and public galleries.  Commercial galleries are smaller, interdependent galleries where artists can sell their works.  Public galleries, as the name implies are open to the public for a broader audience, where they bring exhibitions from far away (such as another country), so that the public doesn't have to travel far to see them.  While the artist don't usually see works in a public gallery, they benefit from the wide exposure.

As an artist it is important to continually research, such as through magazines, and discover what other artists are doing in order to see if anyone is doing similar works as you, in other words  developing your own concepts as well as sizing up your rivals as well.

In order for an artist to approach a gallery and exhibit their work they need a few things:

• They need a CV - which talks about the art you've done so far and the shows you've exhibited in
• Carry images of your work - in either a portfolio or on a digital tablet
• Take decent photos of your work - well lit, close up, free from clutter

After you have those things you then need to approach galleries.

• Look for galleries which already display works similar to your own
• Drop by and make an appointment to show your CV.  
• If they are busy, keep going back until they are free

And finally, it is important to make yourself present within the art community by going to events, opening nights and talks as well as making sure to introduce yourself to the gallery staff and people around.